Copenhagen Series
# Copenhagen Series

Copenhagen Series for men (Danish: Københavnsserien for Herrer; Herre Københavnsserien), unofficially also known as Københavnerserien and often shortened to KS serien and KS Herre, is the highest division for men organised by the regional football association DBU København (DBUK) and one of the sixth-highest divisions overall in the Danish football league system.

The league, deciding the Copenhagen Football Championship (Danish: Københavnsmesterskabet i fodbold), was introduced as a tournament exclusively for amateur clubs located in Copenhagen beginning with the 1889–90 season under the auspices of the Danish Football Association (DBU). With the formation of a regional association for the Copenhagen area in 1903, the administration of the league was handed over to the newly founded Københavns Boldspil-Union (KBU). At the time of the league's inception, it was the top flight of the Danish football league system featuring the best teams in the country, but it has since been moved to its current status as the sixth best level in Danish football, after a long period as the fifth best level, and now features lower ranking amateur clubs from the Copenhagen area and Bornholm including the reserve squads of clubs playing at the Danish third league tier or above.

The division has changed its name on numerous occasions. It has previously been known as Fodboldturneringen (1889/90–1905/06), A-rækken (1906/07–1919/20; or KBUs A-række, Række A1), Mesterskabsrækken (1920/21–1935/36; or KBUs Mesterskabsrække to distinguish it from the other regional leagues; unofficially shortened to Mesterrækken), A-rækken (1936/37–1946/47), Københavnsserien A and Københavnsserien B (1947/48–1977; groups A and B respectively), before settling with the current name of Københavnsserien beginning with the 1978-season, eventually being known as Københavnsserien for Herrer since the 1985-season to distinguish it from the women's corresponding regional league.

## History

Only clubs located in Copenhagen participated in the tournaments organised by the Danish Football Association (DBU) from the foundation in 1889 until 1903, when the regional football association, Copenhagen Football Association (KBU) was formed and took over the administration of all Copenhagen-related activities including the tournaments. In the first 14 years under the auspices of the DBU, the participants played once or twice against everyone in a league format (unlike the cup-format used for the Medaille-Fodbold-Turneringen held in 1888) and the season was usually initiated in November and lasted until March the following year. Akademisk Boldklub was the most successful team in the DBU-era with six championship titles. In October 1889, the association invited the potential participants to join its first football tournament, simply named Football Tournament or Fodboldturneringen. At the time of the league's inception, it was the top flight of the Danish football league system featuring the best teams in the country, but the league winners are not considered official Danish champions.

At the Copenhagen FA's general meeting on 26 February 1920, a new tournament system was adopted. KBU's highest division, A-rækken, was renamed Mesterskabsrækken with the five biggest teams all owners of a football field (Kjøbenhavns Boldklub, Akademisk Boldklub, Boldklubben af 1893, Boldklubben Frem and Boldklubben 1903) under KBU as participants, while the name A-rækken was retained for KBU's second highest division, containing teams not owning a football field, and the third highest league became B-rækken, all tournaments consisting of a first, second and third team tournament. At the same time, the promotion and relegation rules between the Mesterrækken and the new A-rækken were overhauled making it more difficult for winners of A-rækken to achieve a promotion. In 1936, KBU's highest division, Mesterskabsrækken, was dissolved as a result of the introduction to the double format to the nationwide leagues organized by the Danish Football Association (DBU), allowing KBU's previous second level league, A-rækken, to become the new highest division involving 16 first teams.

From 1912 to 1927 the league served as the Copenhagen qualifier for the Landsfodboldturneringen, a national playoff to elect a Danish Champion. The Landsfodboldturneringen was won by a team from Copenhagen all the times contested. From 1927 to 1936 it coexisted with the Danmarksturneringen i fodbold with the best Copenhagen teams competing in both competitions.

With the formation of Denmark Series, beginning with the 1966-season, reserve teams were now allowed to participate at the fourth level. Between 1966 and 1977, the winner of the regular league (group A) played two playoff matches against the highest placed qualified reserve league team (group B) for one promotion spot to Denmark Series. The overall loser of the two matches entered the additional home and away playoff matches against the runners-up of the Zealand Series for the right to enter Denmark Series. The winners of the regular league managed to secure their spot in the Denmark Series by winning in the seasons between 1967 and 1973, while teams originating from the reserve league won promotion the other years. From the 1978-season the two divisions were merged into one regular league, features both first teams and reserve teams.

## Competition format

Below is a complete record of the number of teams in each season throughout the league's history (not including group 2 between 1947/48 and 1977):

A single round-robin schedule was used between the seasons 1889/90 and 1891/92, 1896/97–97/98 and 1930/31–1946/47, while a double round-robin schedule have been used in the early seasons between 1892/93 and 1895/96, between 1898/99 and 1929/30, and again since the 1947/48-season. The 1956/57-season was a transition season, where each team met each other three times during the tournament. Until the 1994-season, a win equaled 2 points and a draw 1 point, which changed from the 1995-season, where a win earned the team 3 points. From the 1947/48-season to the 1997-season, an additional league on the same level as the Københavnsserien was present, but only reserve teams for higher ranking teams could participate, while first teams were placed in group A. The 2008 fall-season was a transition tournament.

## Copenhagen Championship winners

The winner in a given season wins the Copenhagen Championship and is automatically promoted to the Denmark Series. The runner-up enters a home/away promotion playoff against teams from the highest leagues of the other regional associations for the right to enter the Denmark Series. Teams placing in the bottom are automatically relegated to either the Series 1, group 1 (first team), Series 1, group 2 (reserve teams) or Bornholm Series (teams belonging to DBU Bornholm). Depending on the number of teams, that are members of FBU Funen, relegated from Denmark Series, the number of teams relegated to Series 1 will be either increased or decreased.

### The Football Tournament/Fodboldturneringen (1889–1906)

| Season | Level | Champions | Runners-up |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1889–90 | 1 | Akademisk BK | Kjøbenhavns BK |
| 1890–91 | 1 | Kjøbenhavns BK | Akademisk BK |
| 1891–92 | 1 | No winner | No winner |
| 1892–93 | 1 | Akademisk BK | Kjøbenhavns BK |
| 1893–94 | 1 | Akademisk BK | Kjøbenhavns BK |
| 1894–95 | 1 | Akademisk BK | Kjøbenhavns BK |
| 1895–96 | 1 | Akademisk BK | Kjøbenhavns BK |
| 1896–97 | 1 | Kjøbenhavns BK | Akademisk BK |
| 1897–98 | 1 | Kjøbenhavns BK | Akademisk BK |
| 1898–99 | 1 | Akademisk BK | B.93, BK Frem and Kjøbenhavns BK |
| 1899–1900 | 1 | No winner | No winner |
| 1900–01 | 1 | B.93 | Akademisk BK |
| 1901–02 | 1 | BK Frem | B.93 |
| 1902–03 | 1 | Kjøbenhavns BK | BK Frem |
| 1903–04 | 1 | BK Frem | Kjøbenhavns BK |
| 1904–05 | 1 | Kjøbenhavns BK | B.93 |
| 1905–06 | 1 | B.93 | BK Frem |

### A-rækken (1906–1920)

| Season | Level | Champions | Runners-up |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1906–07 | 1 | No winner | No winner |
| 1907–08 | 1 | B.93 | Akademisk BK and Kjøbenhavns BK |
| 1908–09 | 1 | B.93 | Kjøbenhavns BK |
| 1909–10 | 1 | Kjøbenhavns BK | BK Frem |
| 1910–11 | 1 | Kjøbenhavns BK | BK Frem |
| 1911 fall | 1 | Østerbros BK | B 1903 |
| 1912 spring | 1 | Kjøbenhavns BK | B.93 |
| 1912–13 | 1 | Kjøbenhavns BK | B.93 |
| 1913–14 | 1 | Kjøbenhavns BK | B.93 |
| 1914–15 | 1 | B.93 | Kjøbenhavns BK |
| 1915–16 | 1 | Kjøbenhavns BK | B.93 |
| 1916–17 | 1 | Kjøbenhavns BK | Akademisk BK |
| 1917–18 | 1 | Kjøbenhavns BK | BK Frem |
| 1918–19 | 1 | Akademisk BK | B.93 |
| 1919–20 | 1 | B 1903 | Kjøbenhavns BK |

### Mesterskabsrækken (1920–1936)

| Season | Level | Champions | Runners-up |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1920–21 | 1 | Akademisk BK | B 1903 |
| 1921–22 | 1 | Kjøbenhavns BK | BK Frem |
| 1922–23 | 1 | BK Frem | B.93 |
| 1923–24 | 1 | B 1903 | Kjøbenhavns BK |
| 1924–25 | 1 | Kjøbenhavns BK | Akademisk BK |
| 1925–26 | 1 | B 1903 | B.93 |
| 1926–27 | 1 | B.93 | B 1903 |
| 1927–28 | 2 | B.93 | B 1903 |
| 1928–29 | 2 | Kjøbenhavns BK | BK Frem |
| 1929–30 | 3 | B.93 | B 1903 |
| 1930–31 | 3 | B 1903 | Kjøbenhavns BK |
| 1931–32 | 3 | B.93 | B 1903 |
| 1932–33 | 3 | BK Frem | B.93 and Kjøbenhavns BK |
| 1933–34 | 3 | B.93 | Kjøbenhavns BK |
| 1934–35 | 3 | Kjøbenhavns BK | B 1903 |
| 1935–36 | 3 | B 1903 | Kjøbenhavns BK |

### A-rækken (1936–1947)

| Season | Level | Champions | Runners-up |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1936–37 | 4 | Østerbros BK | Vanløse IF |
| 1937–38 | 4 | Østerbros BK | Skovshoved IF |
| 1938–39 | 4 | Dragør BK | unclear |
| 1939–40 | 4 | Skovshoved IF | Vanløse IF |
| 1940–41 | 2 | Dragør BK | Skovshoved IF |
| 1941–42 | 2 | Skovshoved IF | BK Hellas |
| 1942–43 | 2 | Hvidovre IF | unclear |
| 1943–44 | 2 | Brønshøj BK | Hvidovre IF |
| 1944–45 | 2 | B1908 | Hvidovre IF |
| 1945–46 | 4 | B1908 | unclear |
| 1946–47 | 4 | Skovshoved IF | unclear |

### Københavnsserien A / Københavnsserien B (1947–1977)

| Season | Level | A Champions | A Runners-up | B Champions | B Runners-up |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1947–48 | 4 | Hvidovre IF | B1908 | BK Frem (II) | Kjøbenhavns BK (II) |
| 1948–49 | 4 | Hvidovre IF | B1908 | BK Frem (II) | BK Fremad Amager (II) |
| 1949–50 | 4 | Vanløse IF | BK Hellas | BK Fremad Amager (II) | B.93 (II) |
| 1950–51 | 4 | Vanløse IF | Gentofte-Vangede IF | BK Fremad Amager (II) | B 1903 (II) |
| 1951–52 | 4 | Vanløse IF | Frederiksberg BK | Akademisk BK (II) | BK Frem (II) |
| 1952–53 | 4 | BK Mariendal | Frederiksberg BK | Akademisk BK (II) | BK Frem (II) |
| 1953–54 | 4 | Frederiksberg BK | BK Rødovre | BK Frem (II) | B.93 (II) |
| 1954–55 | 4 | Kastrup BK | Hvidovre IF | BK Frem (II) | B 1903 (II) |
| 1955–56 | 4 | B1908 | BK Rødovre | Kjøbenhavns BK (II) | BK Frem (II) |
| 1956–57 | 4 | BK Rødovre | Frederiksberg BK | KFUMs BK (II) | Kjøbenhavns BK (II) |
| 1958 | 4 | Frederiksberg BK | B1908 | Akademisk BK (II) | Kjøbenhavns BK (II) |
| 1959 | 5 | Kastrup BK | Sundby BK | Kjøbenhavns BK (II) | BK Frem (III) |
| 1960 | 5 | Hvidovre IF | B1908 | Kjøbenhavns BK (II) | BK Frem (II) |
| 1961 | 5 | BK Hero | AIK Frederiksholm | Kjøbenhavns BK (II) | B 1903 (II) |
| 1962 | 5 | Frederiksberg BK | Husum BK | Kjøbenhavns BK (III) | B.93 (II) |
| 1963 | 5 | BK Dalgas | B1908 | Kjøbenhavns BK (II) | BK Frem (II) |
| 1964 | 5 | BK Hero | Kastrup BK | B.93 (II) | Brønshøj BK (II) |
| 1965 | 5 | Frederiksberg BK | Husum BK | B 1903 (II) | Kjøbenhavns BK (II) |
| 1966 | 5 | Kastrup BK | Østerbros BK | Kjøbenhavns BK (III) | Brønshøj BK (II) |
| 1967 | 5 | Kastrup BK | Handelsstandens BK | Kjøbenhavns BK (III) | BK Fremad Amager (II) |
| 1968 | 5 | BK Skjold | Østerbros BK | B.93 (II) | Brønshøj BK (III) |
| 1969 | 5 | Skovshoved IF | B1908 | B 1903 (III) | Hellerup IK (II) |
| 1970 | 5 | Østerbros BK | BK Hellas | Vanløse IF (II) | BK Frem (III) |
| 1971 | 5 | BK Hellas | Gentofte-Vangede IF | BK Frem (III) | Hellerup IK (II) |
| 1972 | 5 | Dragør BK | Gentofte-Vangede IF | Kjøbenhavns BK (II) | Brønshøj BK (III) |
| 1973 | 5 | Gentofte-Vangede IF | Tårnby BK | BK Fremad Amager (II) | Hvidovre IF (III) |
| 1974 | 5 | Sundby BK | Husum BK | Hvidovre IF (III) | Kastrup BK (II) |
| 1975 | 5 | Frederiksberg BK | Husum BK | B 1903 (III) | Vanløse IF (II) |
| 1976 | 5 | BK Fremad Valby | Tårnby BK | BK Frem (II) | BK Frem (III) |
| 1977 | 5 | Tårnby BK | Dragør BK | BK Frem (III) | B 1903 (III) |

### Københavnsserien (1978–)

| Season | Level | Champions | Runners-up |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1978 | 5 | Dragør BK | BK Standard-Kammeraterne |
| 1979 | 5 | Hellerup IK (II) | Kjøbenhavns BK (II) |
| 1980 | 5 | BK Standard-Kammeraterne | Kjøbenhavns BK (II) |
| 1981 | 5 | Gentofte-Vangede IF | Tårnby BK |
| 1982 | 5 | B1908 | Hvidovre IF (II) |
| 1983 | 5 | BK Fremad Amager (II) | BK Pioneren |
| 1984 | 5 | Tårnby BK | Kastrup BK (II) |
| 1985 | 5 | Kastrup BK (II) | B 1903 (II) |
| 1986 | 5 | Sundby BK | Vanløse IF (II) |
| 1987 | 5 | Østerbros BK | Vanløse IF (II) |
| 1988 | 5 | BK Fremad Valby (II) | KFUMs BK |
| 1989 | 5 | BK Hellas | Tårnby BK (II) |
| 1990 | 5 | Ryvang FC | B.93 (II) |
| 1991 | 5 | Brønshøj BK (II) | Gentofte-Vangede IF |
| 1992 | 6→5 | Valby BK | B.93 (II) |
| 1993 | 6→5 | Hvidovre IF (II) | B 1908 |
| 1994 | 6→5 | BK Fremad Amager (II) | Brønshøj BK (II) |
| 1995 | 6→5 | BK Rødovre | Frederiksberg BK |
| 1996 | 5 | Ryvang FC | Valby BK |
| 1997 | 5 | B.93 (II) | Brønshøj BK (II) |
| 1998 | 6 | Gentofte-Vangede IF | AB1970 |
| 1999 | 6 | BK Skjold | FK Prespa |
| 2000 | 6 | AB1970 | KFUMs BK |
| 2001 | 6 | Jægersborg BK | Østerbro IF |
| 2002 | 6 | B.93 (II) | Sundby BK |
| 2003 | 6 | BK Frem (II) | BK Skjold (II) |
| 2004 | 6 | Amager United | Skovshoved IF |
| 2005 | 6 | Dragør BK | B 1903 (FCK II) |
| 2006 | 6 | Frederiksberg BK | B.93 (II) |
| 2007 | 6 | Hvidovre IF (II) | B 1903 (FCK II) |
| 2008 | 6→5 | Handelsstandens BK | Hvidovre IF (II) |
| 2009 spring | 5 | NB Bornholm | Frederiksberg BK |
| 2009–10 | 5 | BK Fremad Amager | Jægersborg BK |
| 2010–11 | 5 | BK Frem | Skovshoved IF |
| 2011–12 | 5 | FA 2000 | Kastrup BK |
| 2012–13 | 5 | Jægersborg BK | AB Tårnby |
| 2013–14 | 5 | Kastrup BK | BK Fremad Valby |
| 2014–15 | 5 | BK Skjold | BK Union |
| 2015–16 | 5 | BK Fremad Valby | Skovshoved IF |
| 2016–17 | 5 | FA 2000 | BK Union |
| 2017–18 | 5 | — | — |

## Footnotes

* ↑ Between 1889 and 1912, there was no national championship playoff and the regional championships, were the highest level, that the clubs could reach, so in principle level 1. The Copenhagen Football League later co-existed with parallel regional leagues and divisions administrated by the regional associations under the Danish Football Association.
* ↑ In the 1891/92-season Akademisk Boldklub, Kjøbenhavns Boldklub and Østerbro Boldklub (merged to Cricketklubben af 1893 in 1893) finished with three wins and 1 loss (6 points) and the championship was declared a draw. No play-off match for the title was played and no championship title was awarded.
* ↑ In the 1899/1900-season Akademisk Boldklub and Boldklubben af 1893 both finished level on points (10 pts.) and the championship was declared a draw. No play-off match for the title was played and no championship title was awarded.
* ↑ Two sources (Gandil 1939; DBU 50 years 1939) lists Akademisk Boldklub in the second place and Boldklub Frem in third place in the final table - even though both clubs finished level on points (10 pts.) in the final table.
* ↑ In the 1906/07-season Kjøbenhavns Boldklub and Boldklubben af 1893 finished level on points and the championship was declared a draw. No play-off match for the title was played and no championship title was declared.
* ↑ Akademisk Boldklub and Kjøbenhavns Boldklub finished level on points (10 pts) in the 1907/08-season. Several sources usually put Akademisk BK in 2nd place with Kjøbenhavns BK in 3rd place in the final table, but it is unclear according to which criterion and tournament rules.
* ↑ Danish Football Association (DBU) introduced Landsfodboldturneringen beginning with the 1912/13-season, where the winners of each of the regional association meet in a play-off cup tournament at the end of the season to decide both the provincial and national championship. This play-off tournament lasted until the introduction of the Danmarksturneringen i fodbold in 1927.
* 1 2 Akademisk Boldklub, Boldklubben af 1893 and Kjøbenhavns Boldklub all finished level on points (15) in the final table of the 1915/16-season. Replay matches were played to determine the championship between the three clubs, with all clubs winning one match and losing one match. The rules specified that the club with the best goals scored/against-coefficients would win the KBU championship, and the outcome of the replay matches placed Kjøbenhavns BK on top (5 goals scored; 3 goals against), B.93 as the runner-up (5 goals scored; 5 goals against) and Akademisk BK in 3rd place (5 goals scored; 7 goals against).
* ↑ In 1927, the Danmarksturneringen i fodbold replaced the Landsfodboldturneringen, introducing a single national league level composed of five districts and with a play-off tournament at the end of the season to decide both the provincial and national championship that specific season. Teams qualified for the national tournament based on their regional league results from the previous season.
* ↑ After two years with a single national level divided into five districts, the "Danmarksturneringen i fodbold" was reorganized into two national leagues with a single round-robin schedule each located at different levels, one championship league (Mesterskabsserien) and one promotion league (Oprykningsserien), beginning with the 1929/30-season.
* ↑ Three clubs finished level on points in the final table for the 1932/33-season. Boldklubben Frem was awarded the championship due to the club's victories against the other two teams having 10 points each, while no replay match was played between Boldklubben af 1893 and Kjøbenhavns Boldklub to determine the second place.
* ↑ The 1935/36-season of the Danmarksturneringen i fodbold consisted of two levels (with a total of three divisions) with each team playing in a single round-robin schedule and at the same time participating in the regional leagues. The 1936/37-season introduced a new third level in the Danmarksturneringen i fodbold (four divisions in total), where each division had a double round-robin schedule. The teams in the top two levels did not participate in the regional leagues, while the teams at the third levels still took part in the regional tournaments.
* ↑ The available source material does not show a clear picture of the final table for the 1938/39-season, including a clear runners-up team, which a source indicate as either Skovshoved IF or Vanløse IF.
* ↑ During World War II, the Danish Football Association (DBU) suspended the then national league structure, consisting of three divisional series, with clubs being divided geographically in regional series using a flat structure, though eliminating two levels in the Danish football league system for the entire period (1940–1945). The regional champions qualified to play in one of the regional series.
* ↑ The available source material does not show a clear picture of the final table for the 1942/43-season, including a clear runners-up team, which a source indicate as either Frederiksberg Boldklub, Vanløse IF and Brønshøj Boldklub. All three teams finished level on points (22 pts).
* ↑ After World War II, the nation-wide tournament, "Danmarksturneringen i fodbold", were resumed with a 3 league-structure, which meant that all the regional championship leagues were lowered to tier 4 in the Danish football league system.
* ↑ The available source material does not show a clear picture of the final table for the 1945/46-season, including a clear runners-up team, which a source indicate as either Skovshoved IF or Hvidovre IF. Both teams finished level on points (24 pts).
* ↑ The available source material does not show a clear picture of the final table for the 1946/47-season, including a clear runners-up team, which a source indicate as Boldklubben 1908, while another indicate as Hvidovre IF. Both teams finished level on points (20 pts), but with a different goalscore.
* ↑ A source displaying with the final table for the 1953/54-season of Københavnsserien B is missing. The listed team are the presumptive runner-up as the table stood after 16 rounds.
* ↑ Beginning with the 1959 edition, the 'Kvalifikationsturneringen' switched from being an end-of-the-season qualifying tournament for promotion to the 3rd Division, with participation of the best regional champions, to becoming a full season league and a part of league structure of "Danmarksturneringen i fodbold". With the introduction of the new league, nicknamed '4th Division', the Copenhagen Series within the overall Danish football league system was dropped by one level.
* 1 2 3 In the summer of 1991, one of the several changes to the format of the Danmarksturneringen i fodbold, was the introduction of the Kvalifikationsligaen in the spring section of the season, which meant that the levels in the overall Danish football league system was dropped by one, while at the same time being increased by one in the autumn season. This tournament format lasted until the spring of 1995.
* 1 2 The Kvalifikationsrækken were introduced in the spring of 1998 by the Danish Football Association as a buffer zone between the higher ranking level's autumn-spring season format and the lower ranking level's spring-autumn season formats. This meant, that the Copenhagen Series within the overall Danish football league system was dropped by one level. The tournament was discontinued in the summer of 2008 and the level of the Copenhagen Series was increased.
